Everything You Need To Know About Water Quality Testing in Mississauga

Having clean drinking water may be an overlooked thought in Canada. However, clean drinking water is essential for your health, and making sure your tap water is uncontaminated is crucial. Sometimes contaminated water can be noticed by odours or colours coming from your fixtures, but in most cases, you will never be able to tell the difference until you perform a service for water quality testing in Mississauga.

It is important to understand the basics of water quality testing so you can maintain the health of you and your loved ones drinking tap water. Every plumbing expert, such as Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mississauga, will suggest homeowners test their water quality at home.

If you would like to learn more about testing your water sources, keep reading about potential contaminant sources and how to address those concerns.

What is Water Quality Testing in Mississauga For?

Water testing is necessary to ensure that you have safe drinking water. You can't always tell if your water has elevated levels of substances by taste, and testing your water provides a detailed review of all of the microorganisms present in your water supply.

When it comes to understanding water quality testing, there are a few key aspects to keep in mind. There are 2 types of tests for your drinking water supply, including a bacteria test and a chemical and metal test, that test for common contaminants.

During water quality tests, a professional would typically check for the following:

Bacteria Testing

Bacteria tests look for harmful bacteria, including total coliform and E. coli. Testing for bacteria at least twice a year is recommended to ensure that you have high water quality. Checking for bacteria contaminants such as coliforms is important because they are found everywhere. Sources of contamination for coliform bacteria are found in soil, plants, sewage, and manure, making it a contaminant to look out for in your plumbing water system. Water quality testing in Mississauga for E. coli is additionally a routine procedure for testing for coliform contaminants. E. coli is also found in sewage and manure, but it also comes from the intestines of humans and animals. If you find traces of E. coli in your water, that means sewage lines have contaminated your water supply.

Chemical Testing

Chemical testing is used to find traces of common metals and chemicals found in water. Chemical tests also test the pH of your water and the hardness of your water. Additionally, chemical testing helps understand the amount of metals in your water. Chemical tests look for the common metals found in water supply, some good, while some harmful. Water quality testing in Mississauga helps understand both the health and safety of your water, as well as the aesthetic of your water, including taste, colour, and smell.

How Often Should I Test My Water Quality in Mississauga?

When it comes to how often you should be testing your water quality, public health inspectors of Canada recommend that you should test your water for bacteria twice a year, and test for chemicals every three years. Our professional plumbers are able to test your water for you, or you can buy water sample testing kits if you would like to test on a more regular basis.

Can I Test My Water Quality Myself?

You can get water quality tests online from trusted suppliers, bring a sample to the Public Health of Ontario, or you can get our professional plumbers to test the water for you. If your water comes from the municipal water supply, then your water utility is required to send a report to you. This annual water quality report will provide you with information about the water running through your plumbing system.

You can also test the quality of water in your home by buying water test kits online. You can collect your own sample and see what is in your water; however, it is always best to get a professional report on your water quality. Our plumbers in Mississauga are happy to help test your water quality. If you are interested in testing the water quality at home, drinking water quality test kits are readily available to homeowners, the most popular type being test strips.

How Do I Collect a Water Sample for Water Testing Kits?

There is a wide range of water quality testing kits. If you are using testing strips, collect water from your home and dip the test strip into it. There are also reagent drop tests for your water quality. When you receive your test kit, you will get specific instructions that you must follow carefully. Once you have read through the instructions, collect your water sample using the sample bottle, and from your cold water supply line. To prevent contamination, make sure that you do not open the sample bottle until you are collecting your water sample. Also, make sure that you don’t overfill the sample bottle, and don’t let the cap and bottle touch any of your bathroom countertops. Once you have collected your sample, follow the instructions and test the water sample you acquired immediately, as letting it sit can cause inaccurate results due to airborne contaminants. While your water testing methods vary, it is crucial to be wary of cross-contamination of your water sample.

What Do Water Quality Test Results Mean?

Once you have received your results, it is important to look for key components that may be an immediate concern for your water supply. It is also important to recognize that finding trace amounts of certain chemicals and metals is not harmful.

In Canada, water quality testing can vary from province to province; however, all Canadian drinking water is based on the “Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality.”

Understanding Chemical Test Results:

Using maximum acceptable concentration (MAC) and aesthetic objective (AO) as a guideline for your water quality test results can make for easy understanding. Here are some of the common guidelines for the chemical composition water quality test:

Potential of hydrogen (pH levels): When it comes to your pH level, the guideline is 7 to 10.5. In Canada, higher pH is not uncommon, hence limescale and mineral buildup from our hard water, but too high can be dangerous.
Sodium levels: Sodium should be at an AO of 200mg/L or less. This means that for every litre of water, there should be a maximum level of 200mg of sodium present in your water before it begins to have a salty taste.
Chloride levels: Chloride levels should remain at an AO of 250mg/L or less, otherwise your water may taste salty. If chloride levels have drastically jumped beyond the acceptable guideline, this can indicate a polluted water supply.
Sulphates levels: Sulphates need to remain at an AO of 500mg/L or less; otherwise your water may have a gaseous, rotten egg smell.
Fluoride levels: For fluoride, having a MAC of 1.5mg/L is the guideline for quality water testing. This means that for every litre of water, a maximum of 1.5 milligrams should be present. If higher, it can pose a health hazard, which can impact your bones, joints, and teeth over time.
Iron levels: Iron should be at an AO of 0.3mg/L or less. Iron levels higher than this ratio can cause red or brown water flow, and make your water taste metallic.
Nitrate and nitrite levels: Nitrates and nitrites needs to remain at a low level for proper MAC guidelines. For nitrates, MAC must be at 10mg/L and for nitrites the MAC must be at 1mg/L. High levels can cause health hazards in your blood such as the inability to properly pump oxygen through your body.

Understanding Bacteria Water Sampling Tests:

Understanding your bacteria tests is much simpler than chemical and trace metal tests. For E. coli and coliforms, your test result will either be absent/nil or present, meaning it runs as a pass/fail test. Either there is bacterial contamination or there isn’t, because the guideline systems for bacteria are not the same as chemicals. To prevent contact with water that has been contaminated by animal waste, livestock watering, or septic systems, bacterial tests are treated as an emergency.

What Do I Do If I Failed My Water Quality Test?

If you have received results that you were not expecting (the presence of bacteria or high levels of chemicals), remember not to panic. One test does not always properly reflect the health risk of your water supply. However, taking precautions is necessary and urgent. To protect you and your family, follow these steps:

Discontinue the use of water supply for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, and washing produce.
Call our professional plumber immediately so you can get immediate water line repair services. Our emergency services are available 24/7, so you can rely on us no matter when you discover a water line issue. Dealing with cross-contamination can occur from faulty valves, leaking pipes, or sewer backup. We have the expertise and skills to address all of these plumbing problems.

If you are looking to improve your water quality for cleaner, better-tasting water, we have services to reduce water hardness, such as an under-sink water filtration system. Contact Mr. Rooter Plumbing today to get started immediately.

Get Professional Water Quality Testing in Mississauga! For a Healthy Canadian Drinking Water Supply, Call Mr. Rooter Plumbing

If you want to get your water quality tested by our professional plumbers in Mississauga, then call us today to schedule an appointment. Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Mississauga can provide a variety of solutions for your water quality problems, including the installation of water filters and water softeners, as well as emergency repair services for pipeline problems.

If you are interested in getting your routine water quality testing in Mississauga from our water treatment professionals, you can get in touch with our friendly customer service team via phone or email. Remember that accurate water testing is the first step in getting cleaner, better-tasting water. Get your water tested today!